In the prior art, various embodiments of connectors are known. A connector can have two housings with contacts, which can be pulled together from a pre-assembly position into a final position by means of a lever arm pivotally mounted onto a housing. In doing so, the lever arm forms a bow relative to the housing. The lever arm comprises a surface from which a tooth system extends radially outwardly. The other housing has a corresponding tooth system on its surface. When the two housings are fitted together and the lever is moved, the tooth systems become engaged and the two connecting connectors are pulled towards each other along a connecting axis. When the lever arm is moved in the opposite direction, the two housings are pulled apart again by the teeth. As a result the contact elements within the housings are connected to each other when the two connecting connectors are brought together, and separated again when the two connecting connectors are pulled apart. The arrangement of the teeth on the lever and on the housing is essentially designed such that the teeth are continuously engaged. The teeth mesh as soon as the two connecting connectors are joined together.
This construction has the disadvantage that the angle which the lever describes when the two connecting connectors are joined is directly related to the distance that the two connecting connectors cover on their way toward each other. In connector systems, this distance is called the connector stroke, and it is usually shorter than the travel created by a lever movement through an angle of 180°. In practice, the angle of the lever, in the joined condition, amounts to only a few degrees to the plane of the contact elements. In order to achieve the correct stroke, the lever is aligned in a 90° angle to the plane of the contact elements, and the two connecting connectors are joined in this manner. The lever then moves only through approximately 90° to its end point, and the correct stroke is thus maintained.
In the wiring of vehicles, there is an increasing need to install multi-pin connector systems in vehicle compartments that are difficult to access. In this case the connector systems need to be designed as small as possible and, at the same time, provide a large number of contact elements. The result of development is connectors with a smaller height so that they fit through small openings and accommodate a large number of contact elements. When multi-pin connectors of this kind are assembled, a high insertion force is needed. In order to provide these high insertion forces, long lever arms are needed. In order to install these connector systems in confined spaces, the technician must be able to practically blindly connect and engage both connectors.